They have had differing views on Israel's war with Hamas and conflicted stances on Moscow since the start of the war in Ukraine, but when the leaders of Germany and Turkey meet this Friday in Berlin, they will have strong economic and electoral pushbacks to talk about. .
President Edogan's first visit to Germany since 2020 comes on the eve of local elections where he hopes to retake the cities of Ankara and Istanbul.
The possibility of better access to the EU market and visa liberalization would also be a huge boon to voters demoralized by rising inflation and the economic crisis.
Erdogan will also need Olaf Scholz's blessing if he is to buy the Eurofighter Typhoon warplanes that Ankara has expressed interest in.
Germany, through Airbus, is a partner in the consortium that builds them. For Scholz, who leads a three-party coalition that wrangles over the economy and the impact of immigration, Ankara's role in curbing migrants makes it an indispensable partner for the EU.
In a signal of the importance of the visit Scholz tried to refrain from Erdogan's strong statements about Israel, and the designation of Hamas as a liberation organization.
But the Turkish leader hardened his stance even further by defining Israel as a terrorist state supported by the West. This suggests that the eclipse of the visit by the war in Gaza may be inevitable. (A2 Televizion)
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